GOOD NEWS: New vaccine could prevent the development of Alzheimer's disease

According to the University of New Mexico's Department of Health Sciences, researchers have created a vaccine that could prevent the development of Alzheimer's disease.

The ministry's newsroom website said the vaccine used virus-like particles (VLPs) to eliminate entanglement of tau protein, which, once accumulated in the brain, could prevent neurons from communicating. Alzheimer's disease, which is expected to triple the number of people by 2050, paralyzes the brain as human aging progresses, as beta-amyloid proteins in the brain stick to each other and tau proteins begin to get confused.

Nicole Maphis, a PhD candidate who worked in the laboratory of Kiran Bhaskar, an associate professor in the UNM's Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, said, "We are excited about these results because they seem to suggest that we can use the body's immune system to make antibodies against these tangles, and these antibodies bind and eliminate these tangles of tau. "

Maphis tested the vaccine on mice and showed a marked improvement in their ability to cope with labyrinths. The UNM Department of Health website said, "MRI scans showed that vaccinated animals had less brain shrinkage, suggesting that the vaccine was preventing neurons from dying. Maphis also found much less entanglement in the cortex and hippocampus, areas of the brain important for learning and memory, and which are destroyed in Alzheimer's disease. "

UNM scientists David Peabody and Bryce Chackerian also participated in the process. they have been instrumental in using VLPs to create vaccines targeting the dengue virus, hepatitis B, human papillomavirus and beta amyloid protein.

In November 2018, a study published in Alzheimer's Research & Therapy has touted the merits A new Alzheimer's vaccine developed by scientists at the University of Texas Southwestern could halve the number of cases of dementia. The research team tested four groups of mice; the vaccinated mice saw up to 40% reduction of their amyloid beta plaques and decrease up to 50% of their tau tangles. No undesirable immune responses have been observed.

The study said:

We report, for the first time in an AD mouse model, that Aβ active DNA₄₂Vaccination in skin targets two pathologies: plaques containing amyloid and tau protein. DNA vaccination, which consists of administering not the antigen (peptide or protein) but the DNA encoding this peptide, is another route of vaccination. The genes encoded by the DNA are expressed in the skin and the peptides are captured by dendritic cells moving to the regional lymph nodes and presenting the antigen to B and T cells. immunization by DNA or peptide are qualitatively different.

We have previously shown that complete Aβ DNA₄₂ Immunization with trimer is non-inflammatory and induces a regulatory immune response. DNA Aβ₄₂ Trimer immunization has been shown to be effective in removing brain amyloid from immunized double transgenic mice. In the present study, we used a triple-transgenic AD mouse model that presents Aβ and tau pathologies characteristic of human AD. We found that immunotherapy with Aβ DNA₄₂ trimer leads to the reduction of Aβ₄₀/ Aβ₄₂ peptides and amyloid plaques, and we show for the first time that Aβ DNA₄₂ Immunization with the trimer also results in a significant reduction of tau protein from the mouse brain.